ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, May 29, 1996 TAG: 9605290114
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
The home run has been the Cave Spring softball team's calling card this season. But it was a single that earned the Knights an invitation to the Northwest Region semifinal round.
After giving up seven runs to E.C. Glass in the first inning of a game that started Monday, Cave Spring used 6 2/3 innings to battle back for an 8-7 victory in a contest that was completed Tuesday at Penn Forest Park.
Cave Spring plays Albemarle, an 11-1 winner Tuesday over Franklin County, at 3:30 p.m. today at Penn Forest Park.
Kari Whitney's bases-loaded single drove in two runs, ending a comeback in which the Knights used a little luck and a lot of timely hitting.
Whitney slammed the first pitch from Glass' Kristi Preas to center, scoring Marissa Addy and Kerry Fair, who shut out the Hilltoppers for the final 62/3 innings.
``I play better under pressure,'' Whitney said, who didn't mind being the one who either won it or finally lost it for the Knights. ``I like the first pitch. I knew if I got a hit, one run would score, but I was hoping for two.''
Just before Whitney's hit, Sarah Ogilvie nearly ended the game. Her liner on a 3-0 pitch was snared by Glass third baseman Mindy Hanks, who just missed doubling Addy off third.
``I had confidence in her,'' Knights coach Lynn Saunders said of Ogilvie, his cleanup hitter. ``I know on a 3-0 pitch they can throw a change-up, so I let her hit away. Sometimes it's a chance you have to take.''
Earlier in the inning, Stacie Morioka's fly ball was mishandled in left with runners on first and second. But Addy had to wait to see if the ball was caught before she could go to third and she was unable to score on the play.
Fair came on in the first inning with seven runs in and a runner on second base. She struck out two and gave up only one hit the rest of the way.
``There was a lot of pressure, but I'm all right under pressure,'' Fair said. ``I had confidence all the way. I never doubted we'd come back. I didn't think about it [being behind]. I just pitched.''
The Knights started their comeback with four runs in the third. Fair doubled in two runs and Morioka singled in the other. Cave Spring (21-2) made it 7-5 in the fifth as Jennifer Lupton doubled, advanced on a wild pitch and came home on another wild pitch.
In the seventh, Preas walked the first two hitters. After Kay Brittain popped to third, Fair drew another walk, setting up Morioka's fly ball, which was good for one run.
``The only thing we had to do was hit the ball, which we did,'' Saunders said. ``I messed up when I had Stacie try to stretch a double [in the sixth] and she was thrown out. But I knew the way we [can] hit the ball all the way down the line.''
Glass (10-11), coached by former Timesland athlete Dawn Coleman of Parry McCluer, is a relatively new softball program.
``We came here ready to play,'' Coleman said. ``It came down to the last inning and things came out their way.''
LENGTH: Medium: 63 linesby CNB